- Mudavadi gave assurance that the examiners have done their best to ensure the integrity of the exams is upheld.
- He told the learners to put their best foot forward as they sit their national exams.
Image: ENOS TECHE
Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has said the government is committed to ensure learners get quality education.
He said this is even reflected in President William Ruto's annual budget where education sector got the highest percentage.
The Prime CS who spoke on Monday at St Georges Primary School in Nairobi, wished the pupils the best in their exams as KCPE and KPSEA candidates sit their exams.
"Ruto in his first budget has set aside over Sh600 billion for the education sector. You can see the emphasis. It is the largest single allocation in any sector in the budget," Mudavadi said.
Mudavadi noted that there are slightly over 200 public primary schools within Nairobi, adding that the government is working to remedy the situation.
"Because how many of our children can be able to afford private schools? In Nairobi alone we have only slightly over 200 public schools. We definitely need to invest more in public schools," he said.
He told the learners to put their best foot forward as they sit for their national exams.
Mudavadi referred to the candidates sitting this year's KCPE as a legacy class.
"This is a legacy class because it is their legacy that shuts the door on the 8-4-4 curriculum," he said.
Further, Mudavadi gave assurance that the examiners have done their best to ensure the integrity of the exams is upheld.
"We all want the integrity of our exams to be upheld and be beyond reproach. That is what we are seeking here. So by us joining and encouraging learners at this particular moment it is not just a matter of us being here for the sake," Mudavadi said.
"We want to send a message to the people of Kenya that the integrity of the exams is paramount so that their credentials can be recognised not just in Kenya, but across the world."
Image: ENOS TECHE
Madavadi said exam organisers undertake a lot of logistics for the exam to finally be delivered.
"Exam logistics is not a simple matter. In fact the logistics that the teachers go through to make sure that all these exams are everywhere for these young people is a very serous undertaking," he said.
Mudavadi gave assurance that the exams are secure as they are placed in containers which are being manned by security personnel.
Director of Education Stephen Barongo noted that a total of 1,282,574 Grade 6 learners will sit the KPSEA exam while some 1,415, 315 candidates will sit the last KCPE exam.
Barongo said all measures have been put to ensure the exam is conducted smoothly.
"We have also said supervisor should repeat an exam centre more than twice so that we bring in objectivity. You know the more you get used to a place the more the objectivity goes," he said.
He added that supervisors and invigilators that are primary school teachers man their exams in primary school, the same as their secondary school counterparts.
"That means invigilators and supervisors at secondary school level are going to be secondary school teachers," Borongo said.
He noted that to eliminate early exposure of exams in secondary school level, exams will be picked twice from the storage containers- in the morning and in the evening.
The 8-4-4 curriculum is being replaced with 2-6-6-3 system under the Competency-Based-Curriculum (CBC).
KCPE has been replaced by Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA).
The first cohort of Kapsea wrote the test last year.
Under KPSEA, learners are tested in 12 subjects which are Mathematics, English, Kiswahili, Integrated Science.
Integrated Science comprises Home Science, Agriculture, Science and Tech, and Physical Health.
They are also tested in Creative And Social Sciences (C.A.S.S) which includes Arts and Craft, Music, Social Studies, and Religious Education.
However, the 12 subjects will be consolidated to be tested as five areas.
The KPSEA exam will only account for 40 per cent of the learners' total grade as the remaining 60 per cent comes from classroom-based continuous assessment tests conducted in Grades 4, 5 and 6.